


Your Darkest Hour

by edema_ruh



Series: Delivered from the Blast [8]
Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Angst, Cemetery, Corpses, Crimes & Criminals, Drinking, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Frustration, Grief/Mourning, Guilt, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, Mind Reader Enjolras, Superheroes, Superpowers, Survivor Guilt, Time Travel, Vomiting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-08
Updated: 2016-04-08
Packaged: 2018-05-31 23:03:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,960
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6490852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/edema_ruh/pseuds/edema_ruh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Amis mourn Enjolras, and Combeferre finds a way to make things right.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Your Darkest Hour

Taking Enjolras' body back to the manor was the worst part. 

When Combeferre and Courfeyrac arrived at the address, they thought it would be better to check the terrain before entering the building. Turns out they wouldn't have to enter it at all. 

They found Grantaire and Enjolras on the back alley, both unconscious. Bahorel and Feuilly arrived a few moments later, ready to offer backup. Combeferre approached the fallen pair slowly, dread increasing with each step he took. 

He squatted beside Enjolras and grabbed his hand. 

It was cold as ice. 

Already knowing what the truth was but needing solid confirmation, Combeferre placed two uneasy fingers against Enjolras' wrist, and then against his neck. There was no pulse. 

Combeferre let out a shaky breath, hands beginning to tremble, as he kneeled down on the wet floor before he could fall over. Courfeyrac was already by his side, tears on his eyes, as he placed a hand on Combeferre's shoulder.  

Combeferre took off his moist glasses, cleaning them halfheartedly on his shirt as he silently wept, not wanting to be loud. He could hear Feuilly sniffing somewhere behind him.  

With a trembling hand, he checked Grantaire's pulse. It was slow, but it was there. Despite looking like a human train accident, he was alive. This only made Combeferre's heart ache harder, and this time he couldn’t hold back a sob. 

"Enjolras", he sobbed, so low his friends could barely hear him. Combeferre hugged his dead friend's torso, the silent sobs wrecking through him making Enjolras' body shake.  

"We need to get out of here", Bahorel said, sounding like he was fighting very hard against the tears. Combeferre nodded weakly, still sobbing in silence. 

Bahorel approached them slowly, gently passing an arm below Enjolras' knees and another one below his back. He lifted the man up with near to no effort, holding him bridal style, and Combeferre tried not to sob harder at the way Enjolras' limbs and head were hanging loosely from his form, limp. 

Bahorel took Enjolras' body to the car and returned to the ally to take Grantaire, who was being examined by Combeferre. 

"Pick him up carefully", Combeferre instructed Bahorel, with a shaky voice. "I think he has a punctured lung". 

Bahorel picked Grantaire up as gently as he could, being careful not to disrupt the man any further. He already looked awful, face coated in blood and torso covered by bruises. One of his eyes were terribly swollen, and there was still a steady stream of blood oozing from his parted lips. As he got to the car, he placed Grantaire's unconscious form carefully beside Enjolras, and the sight of the two of them brought fresh tears to Bahorel's eyes. 

The trip back to the manor was the worst part. There was a tense silence lingering inside the car, unanswered questions and doubts looming over their heads. What would they tell Enjolras' family? Would they still live at the camp house? Would they try to stop Mme. Thénardier and the Patron-Minette, or would they hide away and hope not to be found? What would they even _do_ without Enjolras? Of course Combeferre had always been the second in command when it came to the revolution, but this was something entirely different. Enjolras was a telepath. Combeferre could control ice. He wasn’t sure he could stop the Patron-Minette even if he tried, let alone lead his friends into doing so. They had a lot to discuss and a lot to grief, too. Combeferre rubbed his face with his hands, feeling a hollowness inside his chest. How could Enjolras be _dead_? It felt unreal. Impossible, even. They had always discussed the possibility of dying during the revolution or even a rally, but they had always thought they would die together. Combeferre never even fathomed the possibility of surviving while Enjolras died.  

If he had thought that the car ride had been the worst part, Combeferre realized now how wrong he was. Getting to the mansion was worse. 

His friends were sitting on the stairway on the front door, waiting anxiously for Combeferre's arrival. Even Jehan was there. What would Combeferre tell them now? 

They parked the car beside the house, and Combeferre decided it would be best if he could warn their friends of what had happened before they saw Enjolras or Grantaire. 

"Enter through the backdoor and take Enjolras and Grantaire to the lab. Wait for me there", Combeferre told Bahorel, before hopping off the car, heart aching with every beat. He allowed the tears to fall freely from his eyes, moisting his glasses again. Joly's face paled when he saw him, and the other Amis stared at him with worry, anxious to know what happened. 

"I think you should all get inside", Combeferre instructed, voice still shaking.  

"What happened? Where are they?" Marius asked. Éponine was behind him, looking at Combeferre with knowledge in her eyes. She shook her head, biting her lower lip and trying to hide her tears as she turned on her heels and entered the house. 

The other Amis followed her, despite being curious and confused; and Combeferre lead them to the main room. The last thing he needed right now was to be the person who delivered the bad news and explained what had happened, but there was no one else who could do it. When all his friends had gathered on the couch and around it, Combeferre let out a shaky sigh, taking a deep breath before speaking. 

"Enjolras... Enjolras didn’t make it", Combeferre said, not looking at any of them. 

"What do you mean? He's still there?" Marius asked, confused. 

"No. He's dead", Combeferre explained, voice hitching in his throat as the tears flooded his eyes again. 

"D-dead...?" Cosette asked, sounding horrified. Combeferre didn’t dare to look up, and even if he did, there were too many tears on his eyes and his glasses for him to be able to see any of them properly. 

"They killed him", Combeferre said, voice weak and shaky. "Grantaire is alive, but he's in a bad shape. Joly, if you could please go to the lab", he said, finally taking off his glasses and wiping the tears away from his eyes. He could hear Joly walking away towards the lab but he couldn’t see anything properly. Suddenly there were small arms around him, pulling him into a tight embrace. The smell of roses and rain filled Combeferre's nostrils. 

"It's ok to cry, love", Jehan whispered in his ear. "Let it out". 

Combeferre let out a tiny sob at this, returning Jehan's hug. There was a hand caressing his head and someone caressing his back, and the room was filled with the sound of sobs and wailing. 

"I need some time", Combeferre whispered on Jehan's ear. "Please, just a few minutes. I can't do this right now, my best friend... he's..." 

"It's ok, Ferre", Jehan answered, sniffing, and Combeferre felt the poet's tears wetting his shirt. "Take your time". 

Combeferre placed a wet kiss on the top of Jehan's head and walked away, barely being noticed by his grieving friends. He went up the stairs and entered his room, closing the door behind him and letting himself fall to the ground, back glued to the door. Combeferre pulled his knees to his chest and hugged them, leaning his head on them and finally allowing himself to cry loudly. Had it been anyone else, he would have been just as affected, but more level headed. But this was Enjolras. His best friend. His _brother_. Enjolras was dead and Combeferre did nothing to stop it. The pain on his chest was unbearable, it felt like his heart was literally breaking. 

Combeferre knew he had to offer comfort and explanations to his friends, but right now, he needed to let all the pain inside him out before it consumed him. So he cried, tears and snot wetting his face, and he cried and cried and cried until his head ached and there were no more tears to fall. So he sobbed instead, anger and sorrow filling him at the same time. 

He wouldn’t let Enjolras' death be meaningless, in vain. He would take the Patron-Minette down, even if it costed him his own life. They had deprived the world from Enjolras, from all the good things and the changes he could bring. He wouldn’t let them deprive the world from anything good anymore. 

Combeferre took in a deep breath, wiping the tears away from his eyes again. He picked his glasses up from where they had fallen to the floor, cleaning them on his shirt and putting them on. Looking at the digital clock in his night stand, Combeferre realized he had been in his room for more than thirty minutes. His head throbbed. 

He got to his feet, trying to figure out what to tell his friends. Trying to figure out what to tell Enjolras' _parents_. They didn’t know Enjolras had superpowers and Combeferre wasn’t sure he should tell them, but if he didn’t, how to explain their son's death? Combeferre would have to talk to Courfeyrac and Joly about this. 

As he was about to leave his room, he noticed a piece of paper on his bed. That hadn't been there before. His heart rate increased as he picked up the paper, stomach tying in knots. He opened it, finding it to be a letter from Enjolras. Combeferre had to sit down on the bed, feeling weary. 

_Dear_ _Combeferre_ _,_  

_If_ _you're reading this, then my plan worked and I saved_ _Grantaire_ _. Which means I am probably dead. This must be inflicting you and our friends with a terrible_ _am_ _ount_ _of pain, and for that I am sorry. I_ _am aware that your forgiveness is too much for me to ask, but you must understand that everything I did today was for a reason._  

_Had_ _it been me captured by our enemies and had you had the chance to trade your life for mine, we know what choice you would have made. We both know there was no other way to save_ _Grantaire_ _other than to turn myself in for the Patron-Minette, even if this meant allowing that hideous woman possess my_ _telepathic_ _abilities._  

_A criminal telepath is something that should not be taken lightly, and I am sure that my actions will result on many being hurt or killed. This brings pain_ _to my heart but in no way makes me regret my decisions. If, while you're reading this,_ _Grantaire_ _is alive, then my sacrifice will have been worth it. I_ _have only recently found out the true nature of my feelings for him, and his death would have been an unbearable blow in my life. I_ _love him, with all my heart. Please, make sure to let him know that, as I am sure he will be angry at me for saving his life._  

_You, too, have a special place in my heart, since I love you as my brother, not in blood, but in bond. It pains me to hurt you like this, but I can assure you that if my plan is correct, the pain won't last for long._  

_I_ _have recently came across_ _an article you wrote relating_ _Lesgle's_ _speed with the ability to travel through time should he reach a velocity higher than the speed of light_ _. In fact, I just read it this morning, and the eloquence of your arguments was_ _what convinced me to turn myself in to the Patron-Minette. Also, Joly told me he and_ _Azelma_ _have been developing a serum that can eliminate a_ _superhuman's_ _special ability. I_ _am sure you're following my train of thought right now._  

_If_ _Joly and_ _Azelma_ _finish the development of said serum soon, Bossuet can take it and travel back in time to a point before my death has occurred. If he manages to do so, we'll not only prevent me from dying, but also stop_ _Grantaire_ _from being captured and Patron-Minette from hurting anyone else. If the serum doesn’t show a permanent effect, we can still lock them up in the special prison cell, which Joly may be able to develop more quickly with information sent from his future self (before you nerd over this, I know it is a bootstrap paradox. But it doesn’t mean it's not possible)._  

_Make sure to tell everyone how deeply sorry I am for the suffering I must be putting them through, and make sure to let_ _Grantaire_ _know none of what happened is his fault. The decisions I took were mine, and I alone am responsible for them. Again, I hope you can forgive me for all that happened._  

_I_ _hope we can meet again, but in case something goes terribly wrong and we cannot_ _,_ _please know how deep is my love for you._ _I_ _have_ _been, and always shall be, your friend._  

_Love,_  

_Enjolras_ _._  

 

Combeferre put the letter down, new tears fresh in his eyes. But this time, they were tears of joy. A smile was already spreading on his face. 

He grabbed the paper with a shaky hand and burst out of the room, running as fast as he could to the lab to find Joly and Bossuet. He could feel his mourning friends sending him looks of confusion as he ran by them. 

He barged into the lab, startling Joly, who was grabbing medical equipment from a table. On the far corner of the room, Enjolras' body lay on one of the mattresses. 

"Combeferre?" Joly frowned, voice muffled by his mask. The doctor's eyes were red and puffy. "What happened?" 

"I know how to save him", Combeferre panted, raising his hand to let Joly see the paper. "I know how to save Enjolras". 

- 

"You know this is more complicated than it sounds, right?" Joly frowned. He had just finished patching Grantaire up, taking out his bloodied rubber gloves and running the back of his hand against his sweaty forehead. Behind them, Grantaire lay on the mattress, unconscious, oxygen mask attached to his bruised face.  

"Joly, you agreed with me when I brought up the possibility of time travel", Combeferre said. "It won't be easy, no, but we could do it. I know we could". 

Joly sighed, pensive. He bit his lower lip, shaking his head. 

"There are a lot of things that could go wrong, Ferre. First, no one has ever time traveled, so we don’t even know what could actually happen if Bossuet did. Let's suppose that he does time travel and prevents Enjolras from dying, then what? Does he create an alternate timeline and returns to ours, in which Enjolras is still dead? Does he stay in that timeline and then have two Bossuets from different timelines coexisting at the same time? Does he destroy our current timeline and we cease to exist? We can't know what will happen for sure, but I can guarantee it will be catastrophic". 

It was Combeferre's time to shake his head. 

"If he goes back in time and alters it, when he returns to the future none of this – this current present – will have happened", Combeferre said. 

"That will create a paradox", Joly retorted. "If Bossuet goes back in time and prevents Enjolras from dying, he will never have had the necessity to time travel in the first place. He will be turned in, like, a human paradox". 

"I don’t care, I will do it", Bossuet said from where he was sitting beside Grantaire. 

"No, you won't", Joly raised a finger at the man. "This is too dangerous, Combeferre. We can't possibly know what the outcome will be. I do not agree with this". 

Combeferre was looking at Joly, desperation in his eyes. 

"He trusted us to do this", he said with a small voice. "Enjolras trusted we'd go back and save him. He let himself get killed, _trusting_ I would make this happen. We need to do this". 

"Combeferre", Joly sighed again. "Believe me, I want to save Enjolras just as much as you do. But this is not the way. There _is_ no way, he is dead. We need to accept this, take our time to grieve, and move on". 

"So what now? Are we supposed to let that woman take over the city and mentally manipulate whoever she chooses to? Are we supposed to let her turn everyone into her _slaves_?" 

"Combeferre-" 

"Even before we gained our powers, this was exactly what we fought against! We always fought for _freedom_ , Joly, and just because Enjolras is dead you will stop fighting? You will give up? Let people like her do as she pleases without facing any consequences? We've seen what she's capable of, she will _kill_ whoever gets in her way! _We need to stop her!_ " 

" _I can't loose_ _Lesgle_ _too_!", Joly yelled, tears in his eyes. The room went silent. 

The awkward silent stretched for seconds, only Combeferre's pants resonating on the room. 

"I can't lose Lesgle too", Joly repeated, voice barely a whisper now. His eyes were closed, tears streaming from it, head bowed down in grief. "I've already lost Enjolras, Combeferre, you're not the only one who will miss him terribly. Grantaire nearly died on my arms twenty minutes ago and Jehan got shot not even a week ago and I just. I just can't do this. I can't continue to lose people I love. I can't keep looking at you getting yourselves in danger without knowing if you will return alive. Your powers may give you strength, a sense of security, but mine? All I see is my friends getting hurt and killed, and I can't do this anymore". 

Joly took out his blood-smeared lab coat, letting it drop to the ground, and turned around to look at Bossuet, who was still sitting beside Grantaire. He was looking up at Joly with sad eyes. 

"I can't stop you from doing this", Joly told him with a shaky voice, breath hitching in his throat. "You're free to make your own decisions. But I love you, and everything I ever do is to keep you and Chetta happy and safe. If you want to go forward with this, that's up to you. But you'll have to do this without me. I refuse to contribute to your death". 

Joly marched out of the room, letting the lab door close behind him with a loud clicking sound. Bossuet looked up at Combeferre with teary eyes. 

"What's going on?" Bossuet asked, with a sad, tired tone. "When we gained superpowers... I thought everything would be ok. I thought we would finally be able to make an actual difference in the world. But it seems everything we do only brings death and pain. And now the only way to save Enjolras from certain death is to complicate things even more". 

" _Malum_ _est consilium, quod_ _mutari_ _non_ _potest_ ", Combeferre said, before leaving the room. 

- 

Joly eventually returned to the lab, though his eyes were even puffier than before. He did not speak to Bossuet and did nothing when his boyfriend embraced him. The man took the clue and left the lab, leaving Joly alone with a still unconscious Grantaire. 

When Bossuet entered his room, he found Musichetta sitting on their bed, arms crossed and a scowl on her face. She started tapping her foot on the floor as soon as the man opened the door, in a nearly cartoon-like manner. 

"Hey, Chetta", Bossuet greeted, halfheartedly. He passed by her and threw himself on the bed, feeling exhausted. 

"I was consoling a sobbing Joly until five minutes ago", she replied, turning around on the bed so she could face her boyfriend. "He couldn’t tell me what happened because he was crying too hard, and I _know_ it wasn’t because of Enjolras". 

Bossuet sighed, staring up at the ceiling instead of looking back at Musichetta. 

"So?" She urged him, when she realized he wouldn’t answer. 

"Combeferre found a way to save Enjolras", Bossuet started. 

"Save?", Musichetta frowned. "But... he died. There is nothing that can be done... is there?" 

Bossuet sat up on the bed, grabbing a pillow and hugging it to his chest. Musichetta approached him meekly. 

"A few weeks ago Combeferre theorized that, if I use my powers to run faster than the speed of light, I can travel through time", Bossuet explained. Musichetta gaped a little at him, surprised. "Before going after Grantaire, Enjolras left Combeferre a letter saying that I should do it. That Joly should finish developing a serum that neutralizes superhuman abilities, give it to me, and that I should travel back in time to stop Enjolras from dying and give our past selves the key to stop Patron-Minette for good before they could harm more people". 

"Isn't that a bootstrap paradox?" Musichetta asked, frowning. 

"Apparently there are lots of paradoxes involved, which is why Joly doesn’t want me to do it. He says he's afraid to lose me, but if this is the only shot we have at saving Enjolras we need to try, right?" 

Musichetta finally dragged herself through the remaining distance between her and Bossuet, allowing him to pass an arm around her shoulders as they sat side by side. She leaned her head against him, sighing deeply. 

"We've all just lost Enjolras", she said, staring straight ahead. "We nearly lost Grantaire and Jehan. And you know you and me mean the world to Joly. He just doesn’t want to risk losing you on a plan that may not even work". 

"But it will work", Bossuet said. "We were given these powers for a reason. If I can use them to save Enjolras, then I will do it". 

Musichetta sat up straight, leaning away from Bossuet to look him in the eye. 

"You've made up your mind?" She asked. 

Bossuet swallowed dry before answering, turning his eyes away from Musichetta's gaze. 

"Yes. If this is the only way, and if I am the only one who can do it, then I will". 

"With no regard for Joly's opinion?", she frowned. "With no regard for _my_ opinion?" 

"Chetta, don't you see? I'll just go back in time and tell Enjolras what happens. He'll stay alive and I'll come back, and everything will be just fine". 

"This is not that simple!", she protested. "Nothing ever is". 

"So I'm supposed to let Enjolras be dead when I can use my powers to save him? R would never forgive me". 

"So this is about R? Not about me or Joly?" 

Bossuet shut his lips tightly, shaking his head. He looked up at Musichetta, seeing the woman with tears in her eyes. 

"We love you", she said. "We don't want to lose you too". 

Bossuet took in a deep breath, looking up at the ceiling. 

"Fine. I won't do it". 

"Lesgle..." 

"If you and Joly are both so opposed to it, then I won't do it", Bossuet said, getting up from the bed and taking his jeans off, replacing it with comfortable sweat pants. 

"We just don’t want you to get hurt", Musichetta said, snuggling against him after he lied down. 

"I know", Bossuet sighed. "I know". 

- 

When Grantaire woke up, the first face he saw was Joly's sleeping one. 

His friend was sitting on a chair beside his bed, fast asleep, head leaning on the mattress. He would probably have a hell of a backache. 

Looking around, Grantaire found himself on the manor's lab. Which was funny, because he didn’t remember getting back to the manor, because... 

He had been kidnapped... 

And tortured... 

And then Enjolras saved... 

And then Enjolras... 

Enjolras... 

"R, R, can you hear me? You need to breathe", Joly was instructing him, his face blurred by the tears on Grantaire's eyes. "Just take a deep breath, you're hyperventilating". 

There was a horrible pain on Grantaire's ribs, but he did as Joly said. After almost two minutes, his breathing returned to normal. 

"Where's... Enjolras?" Grantaire croaked, throat dry and voice hoarse. Joly handed him a cup of cool water, which he drank eagerly. 

"What do you remember?" Joly asked, clearly avoided his question. 

"Joly, where's Enjolras?" Grantaire repeated. 

"Grantaire... Enjolras... Damn, there's no easy way to do this. Enjolras is, he... He died, Grantaire". 

Grantaire stared up at Joly with empty eyes. 

"Died?", he asked in a small voice, almost childlike. 

"Yes. I'm so, so sorry, R", Joly said. 

Grantaire looked down in confusion, a few tears managing to escape his eyes. 

"Where... where is he?" Grantaire asked, not looking at Joly. 

"We... we needed to burry him, R. You've been unconscious for nearly two days, we just couldn't... couldn't let the body... you know. Here". 

Grantaire looked up at Joly in horror. 

"You... buried him?" He asked, desperate. 

"I'm sorry, R", Joly said, sitting back on the chair and taking Grantaire's hand on his, openly crying. "We... I wanted to wait for you to wake up, but we... we just couldn’t... wait anymore". 

"I... I...", Grantaire said, panting, eyes wandering around the room in confusion. "I'm gonna be sick", he warned, and Joly barely had time to catch a emergency bucket beside the bed and hand it over to Grantaire before his friend vomited on it. Joly looked away from the scene, not wanting to make him uncomfortable. 

Grantaire handed the bucket back to Joly, leaning back on the bed and groaning in pain. 

"Oh no, you must be hurting terribly", Joly said, getting up again and frantically looking for something inside a drawer. "I'll  increase your medication, don't worry". 

"It doesn't matter", Grantaire said with a shaky voice. "The pain will never go away". 

"R...", Joly started, looking at the man with sad eyes and not knowing what to say. 

"I thought this was over, Joly", Grantaire sobbed, wincing in pain from the sting it sent to his torso. "I thought watching him die once was enough. But then it happened again. I watched the life leave his body twice, and I did nothing to stop it". 

"I'm so, so sorry R", Joly said, sobbing too. 

"I can't do this", Grantaire said, shutting his eyes tightly and pulling at his own hair. "I can't. How am I supposed to live without him?" 

"You'll get through this, R", Joly comforted, halfheartedly. 

"I _love_ him, Joly!", Grantaire cried. "I love him, I venerate him, he has everything that I lack, I _need_ him, but now he's gone!" 

"I know", Joly said, hugging his friend as best as he could without hurting him further. "But you're so much more, R, please, believe me-" 

"No!", Grantaire protested. "I can't do this, I can't do this without him! I can't" 

Joly let Grantaire sink himself into the pillows, still sobbing despite the pain it caused him. He stayed with him until he fell back to sleep. 

- 

When Grantaire visited Enjolras grave, there were no tears left in his eyes for him to cry. Only the lingering pain inside his hollow chest reminded him that he was still alive. 

He didn’t bring any flowers; he wasn’t sure Enjolras would like it. Instead, he placed a cockade rosette he had made on the tombstone, watching as the rich colors contrasted with the black marble. Ironical, how they buried the marble statue beneath a tombstone of the opposing color. 

Ironical how Enjolras, the biggest believer of them, died for someone as cynic as Grantaire, instead of serving a greater purpose. 

He went to his apartment instead of heading back to the manor. 

- 

Joly found him on the following day, passed out on the floor, surrounded by empty whisky bottles. Beside his fallen body, a photograph of Enjolras, smiling, crushed between Combeferre and Courfeyrac. 

Joly didn’t recall ever seeing a picture of Grantaire and Enjolras together. 

- 

Grantaire still showed up at the manor sometimes, to let people know he was alive. Usually, they were only ten minute long visits, since neither Combeferre or Marius and Cosette were living there anymore. Courfeyrac was about to move out, such as Jehan. 

He always stared for too long at the spot where he and Enjolras first kissed, and always ended up leaving without saying goodbye to anyone. 

- 

After finding Grantaire passed out on a puddle of his own vomit for the fifth time, Joly decided he was done. 

It was 2 am when he knocked on Combeferre's apartment door, but he didn’t put his mind to it. He couldn’t handle Grantaire self destructing anymore. 

Combeferre opened the door sleepily, hair disheveled and glasses askew, as if he had put them on in a hurry. He squinted at Joly before opening the door further and gesturing for the man to come in. 

"Is everything ok?" Combeferre asked, yawning. Joly's hands fidgeted nervously before he spoke. 

"Actually, no. As you know, it's been two months since... the incident". 

"I know", Combeferre said, not exactly sharply but... sounding frustrated. 

"And the crime rate in the city has increased terribly. Ever since Patron-Minette started to use... telepathy...", Joly cleared his throat, "things only got worse. We're practically on the verge of social anarchy, Ferre". 

"Which makes me wonder why you're at my house at 2 in the morning", Combeferre said. "Not that you're not welcome, but it's unsafe to be out in the streets this late at night". 

"I'm here because I just found Grantaire passed out on a puddle of his own sick for the fifth time in two weeks", Joly explained. "And because I'm tired of seeing him slowly kill himself". 

Combeferre stared at Joly for a long time, studying his face. 

"I don't know what you want me to do about this", Combeferre said, pushing his glasses back and straightening them. "You've always been closer to Grantaire then I was. If there's anyone who can convince him to get professional help, it's-" 

"I agree to the plan", Joly interrupted. 

"Pardon me?", Combeferre asked, confused. 

"I agree to the plan of sending Bossuet back in time", Joly elaborated. Combeferre stared at him in silence. Neither of them said anything for a long time. 

"Are you sure about this?" Combeferre asked, after what felt like an eternity. 

"Yes", Joly responded, looking Combeferre directly in the eyes. "It's dangerous, unsafe and we have no idea of what will happen. But things have only gotten worse ever since Enjolras died. Grantaire is on the brink of getting himself killed, there's robbery, murder and violence in every part of the city. People are dying and being mentally manipulated. This isn't the way the world is supposed to be like". 

Combeferre stared at Joly for a few more seconds before walking over to the man and pulling him into a tight embrace. 

"I'm sorry", Combeferre whispered. "I know how hard it must be for you, putting Bossuet in such risk". 

"It's what must be done", Joly replied, hugging Combeferre back. "He knows that, too. He's the only one who can do this". 

"You're doing what's right", Combeferre reassured. "That is very brave of you". 

"Yeah. Let's see where that gets us". 

- 

"So all I have to do is run faster than light and then boom, I'll be on the past?", Bossuet asked. 

"No", Combeferre answered sharply. "Firstly, running faster than light is not as easy as you think. You'll have to train daily to even think about reaching that level of speed". 

"When you do, a sort of vortex will appear in front of you, and you're supposed to jump in it and _keep running at the same speed_ ", Joly instructed. "You must also think of the exact moment you want to go to, so be sure to be very focused". 

"Alright. I think I can do that", Bossuet said, hopping excitedly. 

"Secondly", Combeferre continued. "Running at such speed will require special clothes; your normal ones would just burn off. Gavroche and Azelma are already working on that, so that gives you enough time to train and reach the required level of velocity". 

"Plus, the serum me and Azelma developed is ready", Joly supplied. "We're not sure if it works, though. In case it doesn’t, the superhuman cell was finished last month. So you'll take a pendrive which contains all the development process and give it to my past self, along with the serum formula just in case". 

"Ok", Bossuet nodded.  

"Do you know to what point in the past you're supposed to go to?" Combeferre asked. 

"Any moment before Grantaire leaves the manor and gets captured", Bossuet replied. 

"Yes, but _preferably_ ", Joly added, "to the point right after Grantaire and Enjolras kiss. We don't want to take that away from them". 

"Ok", Bossuet nodded, stealing a quick kiss from Joly's lips. "I can do that". 

"I'll go to the manor and see how Gavroche and Azelma are doing with the suit", Combeferre told the pair, exiting the apartment with a loud goodbye. 

"I'll go somewhere deserted and start to train my running", Bossuet said, kissing Joly again before leaving in the blink of an eye. 

When Joly entered R's apartment that night, using the hidden spare key, he found his friend sleeping on the couch, TV turned on into a terrible sitcom and an empty beer bottle hanging from his limp hand. There were other bottles scattered all over the floor, and Joly made sure to pick them up and throw them on the trash. He also picked up any alcohol bottle in the house and poured it down the kitchen sink, like he did all the other nights before.  

Joly turned the TV off, and grabbed a blanket to tuck Grantaire with. He placed a glass with cool water and two aspirins on the coffee table in front of the couch, for when Grantaire woke up in the morning. 

"Everything is going to be fine, R", Joly told his sleeping friend, caressing his curly hair. 

- 

"Are you sure you're ready?" Joly asked Bossuet with a shaky voice. 

"I'll be fine, Jolllly", Bossuet reassured, kissing the tip of his boyfriend's nose. 

"Have you tested the suit?" 

"Three times. It's perfectly fine". 

"Have you got the serum and the pendrive with you?" 

"Yes, they're safely tucked inside my underwear", Bossuet said. When Joly sent him a surprised look, he laughed.  

"That's not sanitary!", Joly gaped. 

"I'm just joking, Joly", Bossuet said. "They're safe. Just as I will be, ok?" 

"Ok", Joly nodded.  

"Remember, focus on the exact time you want to go to", Combeferre instructed. "Try to think of a moment you remember with precision. You will probably be just fine". 

"Return to us safely, ok?" Musichetta told Bossuet, pulling him for a kiss. Then she hugged him, followed by Joly, the two sandwiching Bossuet between them. 

"R isn't coming?" Bossuet asked, after hugging everyone and saying his goodbyes. Joly stared down at the floor. 

"No", the young doctor answered. "He's still mad at me for not telling you could travel in time earlier. He'll come around, eventually", he added, sounding like he was saying that to himself. 

"Hey", Bossuet called, propping Joly's chin up with his finger. "It's going to be ok. I'm going to fix things". 

"Be safe", Joly said, kissing Bossuet. "I love you". 

"I love you too, Joly. And you, Chetta", Bossuet replied. 

"We love you", Musichetta told him. 

Taking one last glance at his friends and at his lovers, Bossuet turned on his heels, preparing himself to run. He took off, raising a cloud of dust and making a loud booming sound as he broke sound barrier. In less than a second, he was already out of Joly's view. 

"Everything will be ok", Combeferre reassured, placing a hand on Joly's shoulder and the other hand on Musichetta's. "He'll fix things". 

"I truly hope so", Joly nodded, heart thumping madly in his chest. "We really need him to". 

**Author's Note:**

> The phrase Combeferre tells Bossuet in Latin is a quote from assyrian writer Publilius Syrus, and means "It is a bad plan that admits of no modification", or "It is a bad plan which can not be changed".
> 
> I hope this isn't too bad :D  
> I am sorry if any of the aspects related to the time travel were unclear, I did my best on trying to explain it, specially since I am not a native english speaker. If you didn't understand something or have any doubts, you can come to me and I'll gladly explain and try to edit this to make it clearer :)
> 
> If you want to know more about the Bootstrap Paradox (Causal Loop), you can read it here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Causal_loop
> 
> If you want to understand how the Speed Force works and grants the ability to travel through time, you can read it here:  
> http://comicvine.gamespot.com/speed-force/4015-42071/
> 
> Kudos and comments make me happy, constructive criticism is always appreciated and you can always find me on edema--ruh.tumblr.com ♥


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